Anganwadi workers to get a raise soon

Centre approves a hike in honorarium of nearly 28 lakh anganwadi workers across the country

Karnataka : Bengaluru : 07/02/20018 : Miday Meal workers staging a protest to press thier long pending demandas at Freedom Park on 07, February, 2018. Photo:V Sreenivasa Murthy

The government will soon increase the honorarium awarded to anganwadi workers following a proposal from the Ministry of Women and Child Development, according to government sources.

The Expenditure Finance Committee under the Ministry of Finance on Friday approved a proposal from the Ministry of Women and Child Development to hike the honorarium.

Current pay

Currently, the Centre pays a monthly honorarium of ₹3,000 to anganwadi workers, ₹2,250 to workers at mini anganwadis and ₹1,500 to anganwadi helpers in the prescribed cost-sharing ratio with the States, as per the last revision in 2011.

The Ministry’s proposal now awaits a nod from the Union Cabinet. “The government may take a decision on increasing the honorarium for anganwadi workers and helpers,” a senior official of the Ministry said on the condition of anonymity.

Long-pending demand

The official added that this had been a long-pending demand of the Ministry.

Anganwadi employees are frontline health workers under the government’s Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS).

They are responsible for providing supplementary nutrition, immunisation, referral services, health check-ups, pre-school non-formal education, and health and nutrition education to 10 crore beneficiaries of the scheme at 14 lakh anganwadi centres across the country. There are nearly 28 lakh anganwadi workers and helpers in the country.